Diabetes mellitus is a disorder of carbohydrate metabolism resulting from insufficient production of or reduced sensitivity to insulin. In persons who have diabetes, the normal ability of body cells to use glucose is inhibited, thereby increasing blood sugar levels. As more glucose accumulates in the blood, excess levels of sugar are excreted in the urine. Corresponding symptoms of diabetes include increased urinary volume and frequency, thirst, hunger, weight loss, and weakness.
There are two variations of diabetes. Type 1 diabetes is insulin dependent diabetes mellitus for which insulin administration is required. In a subject patient with type I diabetes, insulin is not secreted by the pancreas and therefore must be taken by injection or inhalation. Type 2 diabetes may be controlled by dietary restriction, oral antihyperglycemic agents, and/or insulin administration. Type 2 diabetes can be attributable to dilatory pancreatic secretion of insulin and reduced sensitivity to the action of insulin on target tissues.
Complications from diabetes often involve the cardiovascular system, which then accounts for the majority of diabetes-related deaths. Other serious complications include diabetic retinopathy, kidney disease, peripheral neuropathy, and/or frequent infection.
Treatment of individuals afflicted with diabetes who are unable to produce insulin in their bodies involves the administration of regular injection or inhalation of insulin. Insulin derived from the pancreatic extract of pigs, sheep, and oxen can be used for this purpose, although many individuals now use synthetic human insulin manufactured via recombinant DNA technology.
One method of treating diabetes involves regulating or limiting calorie and carbohydrate intake by placing an individual afflicted with diabetes on a restrictive diet designed to facilitate reaching and maintaining normal body weight. While effective in theory, limiting calorie and carbohydrate intake is often difficult, thus often resulting in poor patient compliance.
Medications are also used in certain diabetic individuals to help maintain blood glucose levels within acceptable target ranges. These medications most typically stimulate insulin release by the pancreas, improve the body's ability to use insulin, and/or decrease the production of glucose by the liver. These medications, however, are limited in that each can have limiting side effects, none are appropriate for non-diabetic individuals, and the various medications often lose their effectiveness in many individuals after prolonged use.